We’re so very grateful for a bumper eggplant crop this year. But after prepping and freezing ten meals worth of eggplant Parmesan, I needed a new way to use up the last of my eggplant harvest.
With lots of family gatherings in my future, I thought what better way than to make a delicious and homegrown appetizer that I can serve to my family and friends.
Similar to hummus, at it’s core baba ganoush is nothing more than eggplants, tahini, olive oil, garlic and some lemon juice. But after finding some inspiration here and here, I added some parsley from the garden, cumin and a touch of paprika. Fantastic!
To Tahini or Not to Tahini… That is the Question
Traditionally baba ganoush calls for tahini, but I didn’t have any. Eggplants, garlic, parsley and the others, but no tahini. What’s a girl to do? I decided to craft a substitute using organic sunflower seeds and toasted sesame oil as opposed to traveling 25+ minutes to the closest grocery store. Thankfully it turned out perfectly and was quite delicious.
This recipe calls for a quarter cup of tahini, but you can substitute any nut or seed butters (sunflower, cashew, almond etc.) But note that butters with strong flavours may take over the roasted eggplant flavour. If you choose to make a sunflower seed substitute I’ll share what I did:
- 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds (organic if you can find it)
- 1-2 tbsp of toasted sesame oil
- Start with 1 tbsp and add more if necessary
- The sesame oil adds a wonderful flavour and closely mimics tahini
Some Recipe Notes
Many recipes call for grilling your eggplant, but I found roasting it worked great. The smoked paprika in the recipe helps to add the smokey flavour you would get from grilling your eggplants. But if you prefer roasting please feel free to do so.
Don’t skip the salt. I know it can be very tempting for folks trying to reduce their salt consumption, but eggplant can sometimes taste bitter and the salt helps to cut that bitter flavour.
Now let’s get cooking…
- 2 lbs eggplant
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup tahini or suitable substitute
- 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil start with 1/4 cup and add more to reach your desired texture
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 tbsp if dried
- 3/4 tsp high quality salt I prefer Himalayan sea salt
- 1/4 + 1/8 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika plus a touch more for garnish
- Preheat your oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Slice your eggplants lengthwise and brush lightly with olive oil. I placed mine flesh side up and they roasted wonderfully. If you would like to place them flesh side down I would suggest lining your baking tray with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Roast your eggplant for 35-40 minutes (you may need up to 45 minutes if you use one large eggplant). They will be quite brown on top (flesh side up) or the skins will start to collapse (flesh side down). Set them aside for a few minutes until they are cool enough to handle.
- Using a spoon, scoop out all the flesh and transfer to a fine mesh strainer (placed over a bowl to catch the drippings). We want to remove as much moisture from the eggplants as possible. Allow them to sit in the strainer for 10 minutes or so.
- Transfer eggplant, lemon juice, tahini (or substitute) and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth. Please note that this can be done in a bowl with a fork as well... you just need a bit more elbow grease. Start with 1/4 cup of olive oil and pulse until smooth. Add more olive oil as you desire to reach your preferred texture/consistency. Add in salt, cumin, paprika and chopped parsley and pulse until all ingredients are incorporated.
- At this point taste your baba ganoush. If you like it with more "zip" add more some lemon juice. If it's still a touch bitter add another dash of salt.
- Transfer to jars or bowls, dust with paprika and some parsley as a garnish. Enjoy! This recipe freezes quite nicely and makes quite a bit so I suggest freezing half and enjoy it later.
Serve with raw veggies, tortilla chips, warmed pita slices or as a condiment on sandwiches and wraps.
I hope you enjoy your baba ganoush as much as I do.
P.S. Please pin for future reference and to share in the eggplant love 😉
